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44% of GP practices say CCGs don’t act on their views

There has been a ‘general decline’ in the relationship between CCGs and their member practices, with less than half of GP practices believing that CCGs act on their input, NHS England has admitted.

NHS England’s ‘360 degree stakeholder survey’, conducted by Ipsos MORI, found that GP member practices tend to be among the ‘least positive’ groups, with only three in four practices reporting good working relationships, compared with four-fifths of others.

The report identifies that only 59% of GPs feel their views are being taken on board, compared with 66% in other groups, while only 44% of GPs think views are acted on.

The report states CCGs are ‘accountable to their member practices and need to ensure practices have a voice within the CCG’.

But it also notes that although 68% of GPs are satisfied with arrangements for membership participation and decision-making, this has fallen drastically from the 74% satisfaction rate when CCGs were authorised last year.

The report states: ‘Despite the largely positive findings, the results show a general decline in engagement and relationships since authorisation. Member practices feel less well engaged and fewer are satisfied with the way in which they have been engaged.’

Under current proposals for CCG co-commissioning of primary care, commissioners could handle the majority of the GP budget within a year.